#hindu tattoos

[nickcarusotattoo]

[royalwingstattoo]

Trishul with om and eye tattoo on inner forearm..

Tattoo done by @satish mandhare....

Book your appointment on 8433934833..

[sheltiechicago]

Kiwa’s Color Mandala Tattoos

Kiwa, a college dropout, abandoned his music degree to pursue a tattooing career because he was more interested in drawing and having his artwork significantly impact human bodies. For the past nine years, he has been tattooing professionally, fusing Hindu and Buddhist mandalas with color spectra seen in traditional Korean culture and architecture.

[raghavdotink]

Custom Bajrangbali tattoo. #hanuman #hanumanji #jaishreeram #jaishreeram #bajrangbali #bajrangdal #shriram #religious #religious_art_details #tattoo #tattoos #tattooartist #tattooed #hindu #hindutva #hinduism #art #artwork #artistsoninstagram #artist #instagood #trendingreels #trending #shiva #shiv #mahakal #shivling (at Manjeet Tattooz) https://www.instagram.com/p/CkP6K0dP_w_/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[bodymodificationnation]

By dean.gunther

[tsukiyo-7]

This is me trying to bypass Tumblr censorship, attempt 1

Just in case, the full fanart is on ao3

Details under the cut! (It's a bit long, I'm warning you)

Here's the frankly too long explaination.

I basically crammed in this drawing all my favourite motifs and all of my studies.

The tattoo on Sam's back is something I designed myself and represents Mater Dolorosa (Our Lady of Sorrows or Madonna Addolorata) with a stanza from the prayer "Stabat Mater" that goes as folows - "Through her soul, of joy bereaved, bowed with anguish, deeply grieved, now at length the sword hath passed."

Then we have Saint Michael slaughtering the Devil on Dean's arm. This is a mesh up of different stock images; usually Saint Michael stands over a serpent not a dragon and has a sword, not a halberd, those come from Saint George (Patron Saint of soldiers, so not a random choice)

Then there's the scripts. (Open the first pic)

The roman numbers on Dean's collarbone: II.V.XCIII = 2.5.83, Sam's date of birth.

The matching latin tattoos on their bicepts: The whole quote actually is "Nec tecum, nec sine te vivere possum" by Ovidius, which means "I can't live with you nor without you" and I thought of splitting it like that because I think it sums up their relationship pretty well. They can't be together, especially Sam imo (forever the runaway), because it's basically self-destructive, but being apart maybe is even worse (suicidal Dean anyone?).

A mandala with a mantra on Sam's tigh: गते गते पारगते पारसंगते बोधि स्वाहा . The Devanāgarī, for those unfamiliar, is a South Asian writing system. Here we have the mantra that closes the Heart Sutra "Gone, gone, gone to the other shore, Awakening, Svaha." (Svaha is the Hindu goddess of sacrifices; in a Buddhist context the term is used as denoument for mantras, espicially duing rites and offerings).

The characters on Dean's bicept, next to Saint Michael: 天罰. Those are technically Hanja aka Traditional Chinese characters used to write Korean (mostly because I first encountered this word in my korean phylology studies and that's how I know it), but they mean the same thing in Korean, Chinese and Japanese, "Divine Punishment", sooo - the only difference is the ponunciation. Korean: 천벌 (cheonbeol) Japanese: てんばつ (tenbatsu) Chinese: 天罚 (tiān fá).

Lastly, on Dean ribs, say hi to my bestie Hammurabi and his famous Code: here we have the Law 196 which actually even rocks know about; An eye for an eye. The full text says: "If a man has blinded the eye of another man, his eye will be blinded." Can't really offer you a transcript but if you're curious here's the transliteration:

" šum-ma a-wi-lum i-in DUMU a-wi-lim úḫ-tap-pí-id i-in-šu ú-ḫa-ap-pa-du " There's this really neat website here that is a digital version of the whole code and it's also my source.

[whenmemorydies]

Violence and Love in Monkey Man

Dev Patel's Monkey Man has played at my mind for two weeks now. This is for reasons that I'm able to articulate and for many that I probably have not yet been able to find the words for. This post is, in part, my attempt at sorting through some of my thoughts. My tumblr is all spoilers all the time. If you don’t want that, then please don’t read on.

Violence

Like most places in the world, systemic violence is a scourge in India. Monkey Man does not shy away from this reality and depicts Hindu nationalist state violence and violence against women and gendered minorities in the country to chilling effect.

We come to see this in the brutal rape and murder of Kid's activist mother at the hands of the police, while she tries to shield her child and her land from police and state terror. We see it in the treatment of (largely femme-presenting) sex workers in the two brothels featured in the film, including one frequented by the police and political elite. We see it in the violence and ostracisation meted out against the hijra, or third gender community by individual actors and the state more broadly. We see it in the state-orchestrated razing of an entire community after the land on which it sits is declared a "holy site". We see it in the movement of people from the regions to the city after their land has been stolen and the grinding poverty they face as a result.

Unlike so many action films, none of the violence in Monkey Man occurs in a vacuum. Even Kid's original means of making money in an underground fighting ring is done against the backdrop of his forced displacement from regional India to the city - a migration pathway that many in the country have been forced to take and which is a direct result of land theft and resource extraction in the regions by local and multinational corporations as well as federal and state governments.

The truth is that so much in relation to state and societal control is enacted in painful and violent ways on the bodies of the marginalised and oppressed. And I often think about how the horror and action genres are some of the best suited to speak about systemic injustice because of their capacity to make that violence uncompromisingly visible (one recent example is Mike Flanagan’s Midnight Mass which depicted the bloody fallout of the Christian missionary/colonial project in vivid crimson, splashed all over a non-descript maritime town in present-day America). The violence in Monkey Man is no different.

While Kid's realisation of the interconnectedness and heavy hand of the state not just in the violence experienced by his mother, but also by the hijra, and by sex workers like Sita comes later in the movie, we as the audience are given this insight earlier. Recall Kid pointing out to Sita that her tattoo is of a koel, not a sparrow as originally misidentified by the Australian client sexually assaulting her minutes earlier in the film.

Kid goes on to say that he grew up in the forest and woke up to koels singing everyday. Its the longest conversation that the two have but in those brief words, we understand that Sita too has likely been displaced to the city from the regions, probably under very similar circumstances to Kid. The way this displacement maps itself onto her body is distinctive to how it does so for Kid, with gender playing a large role in this.

Other factors like caste, class and religion also impact on how the characters in this film experience or perpetrate violence. I would write more on these intersections but then this post is going to get more unwieldy than it already is.

I will say though, that in India, where fascist Hindu nationalism is being used by government to harm minority communities, steal land and secure populist votes, Patel makes a distinction between revelatory and weaponised faith. Kid is raised in peace by his mother with the former, but as an adult he lives in a world where the latter has taken hold and is being used by those in power to shore up more of that power for themselves.

For me - as the descendant of parents, grandparents and great grandparents who lived through anti-Tamil pogroms led by Sinhalese chauvinists weaponising Buddhism as part of their fascism in Sri Lanka, who like the rest of us, is living in an election year for Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India, and who is also frustratingly, helplessly bearing witness as the state of Israel and it’s allies conflate Zionism with Judaism in defence of the genocide being waged against Palestinians - watching this action film make the distinction between revelatory and weaponised faith was profound.

Love

Patel makes it a point in this film to show how Kid's most nourishing relationships, the ones that sustain him - indeed the ones that literally save his life - are those that he has with women and with people who don’t conform to the gender binary. In doing this, we see what Kid is fighting tooth (quite literally) and nail for throughout the film. We see what is at stake - what we stand to lose - if perpetrators get to rule without accountability.

Its also no mistake that these relationships are all tied visually to the natural world in the film: Kid's mother's deep ties to the earth, rivers, trees and roots that she leads him through as a child. Alpha and the hijra's sanctuary, the Ardhanareeshvara temple with its most sacred space being the roots of a holy tree. Sita and her koel tattoo: the memory of the forest carried on her skin while she traverses the brutal reality of the city. Patel is making a point here too. About nourishment of another kind, through our connection with the earth instead of extraction from it. The visuals in the film drive this point home, particularly when contrasted with the industrialisation and poverty of the city.

Two particular loving relationships that stood out for me were the love shared between Kid and the hijra community as well as between him and his mother.

Alpha, hijra Elder and the hijra community

Keeper of the Ardhanareeshvara Temple and hijra Elder, Alpha becomes a mother-figure to Kid after he is rescued with near-fatal injuries. It is Alpha who keeps watch over him as he recovers, helps Kid to confront the totality of his past memories which his trauma has kept fragmented, and who ultimately leads a veritable hijra army to join forces with him to assassinate some fascists.

Alpha's gentleness with Kid was so moving to see, in particular during the conversation they have about his attempt as a child to save his mother from the fire set by her rapist and murderer. That exchange moved me to tears.

Kid: I failed her.

Alpha: No. You tried to save her. You see scars. I see the courage of a child fighting to save his mother.

The wider hijra community at the temple also take Kid in and care for him during his recovery. Truly, the scenes at the temple were some of my favourite in Monkey Man. Outside of his memories of his mother, they are the only scenes where we see love, peace and joy on the faces of any of the characters in this film.

Also witness this moment of delight below as the hijra at the temple appreciate a fine ass man channelling his righteous anger and fucking up a punching bag full of rice. I note that the music during this training montage is simply stunning. Ustad Zakir Hussain's rapid fire tablas punctuated by each of Patel's landed punches and kicks and then followed by Jed Kurzel's achingly soaring instrumentals (listen to "The Kid" from the movie's score) were just *chef’s kiss*.

Another favourite moment for me was when Kid decides to go back to the underground fight ring one last time and not throw his matches (as he had been doing prior). He bets on himself and when he inevitably wins his fights, he takes the money and gives it to the hijra, ensuring that they can continue to live at the temple without fear of being evicted. We love to see a man who literally pays his rent.

Neela, his mother

Kid’s first teacher and the center of his life as a child. In almost every memory we are shown of her, Kid remembers his mother walking through a forest, sharing her ecological and religious knowledge with him and in doing so, positioning him within the wider world.

GIF by dailyflicks

We watch as he takes this understanding with him forward through the remainder of the film. His conversation as an adult with Alphonso as they drive through the city in the latter's tuk tuk is emblematic of this. "They don't even see us", Kid says of the elite who frequent the club where he has just gained employment, "they're all up there living and we are stuck in this."

His mother showed him what it was to live: to be still and in concert with the world and the Divine around you, to be loved fiercely, and to thrive as a result. This is in stark contrast to what Kid has had to learn to do in the city: to survive, to merely exist. He is never depicted resting or at home as an adult. He's always working, hustling and planning for the next thing, his next step. When he loses his village, his land and his mother as a child, Kid also inevitably loses his sense of home. It’s no coincidence that the tracks “Home” and “Mother” on the movie’s score sound almost identical.

Later at the end of the film, we see Kid close his eyes, having done what he set out to do. The last thing he sees is his mother, smiling at him in the forest. Her face is the face of God he gazes at before he succumbs to his injuries. This devotion to his mother is not just that of a child to a parent. Its also deeply tied to his Hindu faith which calls on its followers to honour the Divine Mother, the supreme feminine energy, Aathi Parashakthi, in all her manifestations including in those who mother us.

The movie ends with Kid’s deep, revelatory faith - instilled in him by his mother - and with the death of the man who weaponised that faith for power and wealth. It left all of us in the cinema seated in stunned silence even as the credits began to roll.

To describe Monkey Man as simply a revenge film does it an absolute disservice. This is not revenge. It is defence borne out of deep love for community and righteous opposition to injustice. Seeing hijra warriors dressed as Kali, the goddess of destruction, dealing death blows against fascists while spinning in the most beautiful lenghas was exhilarating (I literally screamed “YESSSSSSS!” at the screen when they arrived). Seeing Sita take out pimp and sex trafficker Queenie got me cackling and yelling “whoooop!”. Seeing Kid, a masculine character act to defend women and people outside of the gender binary, from further systemic harm without any ulterior motive was absolutely unreal to witness on the big screen. Seeing a person of faith act in deep connection to that faith without judgment against anyone but those who perpetrate harm made me feel hopeful in a way that took me by surprise. Kid acted out of love and respect. I would argue that Sita, the hijra and Kid all acted out of recognition of a shared humanity.

And at a time when folks from marginalised communities are being subjected to horrendous violence worldwide, both interpersonal and systemic, watching the oppressed take their perpetrators out…and I mean out (see: a rapist and murderer getting bludgeoned to death with a glittery high heel and a fascist, self-proclaimed “holy man” being stabbed in his third eye by the blade he hid in his own “sacred” pathankal/paduka), well, it was cathartic to see.

Am I saying violence is the answer to systemic violence? I think the answer to that question is context-specific. Non-violent resistance has a place, but it’s by necessity a performance and requires an audience. What do you do when no one’s watching? What do you do when the people who are watching are doing nothing to stop your suffering? What then? These questions are what many liberals refuse to grapple with because the answers are too uncomfortable for their polite sensibilities. But if you keep your foot on someone's neck long enough, you should expect them to fight back, by any means necessary. In Monkey Man, we have an action film where we get to witness that resistance in all its visceral glory.

[witch--btch]

Discussing Negai no Astro - Chapter 4

Religion - Buddhism/Asura

Both Kuran and Kou have half of Asura tattooed on their forearms. The Sanmenroppi security branch’s logo and Ikebukuro headquarters are also a resemblance of the demigod.

I did some research, and came across this line of text I find very interesting, regarding Kou, and the inferiority he feels when compared to others.

In the earliest Vedic literature, all supernatural beings are called Devas and Asuras. Each Asura and Deva emerges from the same father, share the same residence, eat together the same food and drinks, and have innate potential, knowledge and special powers in Hindu mythology; the only thing that distinguishes "Asura who become Deva" from "Asura who remain Asura" is intent, action and choices they make in their mythic lives.

"Asuras who remain Asura" share the character of powerful beings obsessed with their craving for wealth, ego, anger, unprincipled nature, force, and violence. Further, in Hindu mythology, when they lose, miss, or don't get what they want (because they were distracted by their cravings) the "Asuras who remain Asuras" question, challenge, and attack the "Asuras who became Devas" to loot a portion of what the Devas have and the Asuras do not.

In Buddhist mythology, the Asuras are said to experience a much more pleasurable life than humans, but they are plagued by envy for the Devas, whom they can see just as animals perceive humans.

Take that text of information as you will. I hope you can understand my point without me having to explain further than this lol.

Does Kuran have a Astro?

Personally, I’m thinking he either does not have an Astro, or he doesn’t want to admit he has one.

Astros are given to people who held onto something precious, and made a wish. Kuran doesn’t really seem like the type of person who makes wishes, or gives into sentimental notions like that.

If he does have an Astro, he’s probably keeping it a secret so he doesn’t have to use it on Kou. When Kou challenged Kuran to fight for branch leader, had he known Kuran also had an Astro, he would surely make him use it so he could win in a ‘fair fight’.

I definitely think Kuran let Kou win for multiple reasons. 1, he doesn’t want to seriously hurt his younger brother, he’s too kind for that. 2, as an older brother, he’s kind of just letting Kou do and have whatever he wants for the time being. More below lol.

Relationship between Kou/Kuran

As a big brother, I think Kuran feels it’s his role to support his younger brothers, not fight with them.

He doesn’t think it’s right to ‘put them in their place’ or anything like that. Instead, he thinks it’s better if he supports them, forgives their misdeeds, and protects them if they get in over their heads. Even when Kou says dehumanizing things, like calling Kuran “my little security robot.”/ treating him like a winnable object; Kuran doesn’t take it personally, since Kou finally has confidence in himself …

I think Kuran might spoil Kou because he knows how insecure Kou is in being the youngest sibling, with nothing to his name.

Kuran understands that Kou is becoming power hungry, but he doesn’t see a harm in it as long as he is still around to pick up after the messes.

The Lighter that Kou made his wish with. This can be speculated as headcanon now, but I think Kuran gave Kou this lighter, encouraging him not to give up on becoming stronger, even if he feels weak now. It just seems like a good older brother thing that Kuran would say to ease his little brother’s insecurities.

And just as he said, Kou did become stronger. So to encourage Kou into realizing he isn’t the same weakling he was before, Kuran purposefully lost to him. Beating Kou would only crush his confidence and put Kou right back to square one:( as a supportive older brother, Kuran simply can’t do that.

That was pretty much the bulk of what I wanted to say about the most recent chapter; if anyone would like to add anything, go ahead! ^.^

[royalwingstattoo]

Antah ashti prarambh Sanskrit word tattoo on forearm🏬... अंतः अस्ती प्रारंभ......

Tattoo done by @satishmandhare910

📝Book your appointment on ☎️ 8433934833..

[koiiiji]

short post about sammy seo’s tattoos, because… because… because i can and i have same style tattoos! (couple materials??😋🎀)

so this type of tattoos is Thai mantras called Sak Yant and as i read from different sources originally thai monks done it for protection against weapons, same as chinese warriors draw it on their clothes, also for protection. so main meaning of this tattoos is protection

Sak Yant is a pattern consisting of mantras using the letters of the Khmer alphabet. patterns are folded into geometric shapes that have different meanings. basically, the meaning of Sak Yant is some kind of material goals, for example, it is protection from enemies, blows with weapons and attracting good luck, wealth.

from what i also learned before doing the tattoo is the fact that Sak Yant wasn’t allowed to do on women, because as i said it mostly used for protection from weapons and in case with thai monks women are not allowed to step into monks temple and they are not allowed to touch women. and here comes next fact - it strictly should be done by monk for a reason - monk with a high level of moral purity is able to transmit magical power through Yant. or as i read in others source that because of monk’s high level of enlightenment they can see what exact Yant you need - which means you don’t know what exact patterns and mantras will be done.

in order for the mantras to work, its owner must adhere to the five Buddhist limiting principles ;

truthfulness (do not lie)

nonviolence (do not kill)

non-appropriation (do not steal)

do not commit adultery

do not take alcohol and drugs

(and almost in every fact sammy is failed lol(im cooked too🥲))

oh and obviously this type of tattoos are done with traditional ancient tools for tattoos, again in Thai tamales.

of course now it became piece of tattoo industry fashion, because me personally took reference from Angelina Jolly’s back Bengal tiger for first tattoo and second one directly from Hindu mythology - Vasuki the Snake.

i don’t think Sammy actually went to Thai temple (BUT WHO KNOWS) but it’s still really interesting to me how he actually did Sak Yant tattoos - by traditional ancient tools or modern techniques🤔🤔

soooo yeah, this is the post, let me know if you want my tattoos tour (pls ask me, i want to show off a little🥲🥲)

also sorry if there are some mistakes, i learned that information before doing tattoos about 3 years ago so maybe there are more/different info now

[i-cant-sing]

Oh man, there's just something about weddings- no matter what religion/country, that each have their certain features that is just oh so endearing and I'd just love to have it all😭

Okay, so take Hindu weddings. There's a lot of things to love, but my fav? The sindoor, because it's just so so intimate and like- some people say that if some of that red powder falls on your nose, it means that your husband loves you very much 😭😭😭😭 oh not to mention, I saw some guy touching his forehead with his brides to apply the sindoor and I just- 🫠

Then take Muslim weddings, and like yes, indo obviously love the whole "mehr" thing, but it's always so adorable to see what the bride asks for her mehr (which is often money, but not always. Some brides ask for a kitten, a trip, or even a verse from Quran)🩷🩷🩷 and also the first halal hug- oh its just so heartwarming to see the way the groom embraces his bride in his arms with the utmost carr, maybe a peck on the forehead if they're into PDA.

And then there's catholic weddings, where they do the vows- "in sickness and in health" omg😭 and and the bride wearing something "blue, borrowed" etc that's cute too- BUT ALSO THE "ANYONE HAS ANY OBJECTIONS?" omg I would die if some (handsome and wanted) guy did actually object to my matrimony.

But apart from religious weddings, I also love everyone's traditions- I saw a video of Hunza people in Pakistan, where the couple make rotis (bread) together to signify the bond of their relationship- teamwork.

I know some of u guys would LOVE this- in Roma weddings, the guy kidnaps the girl of his liking (as far as I know, the guy already has the blessings and permission from the girl's parents) and then after negotiations, a wedding happens.

*gasps* I JUST REMEMBERED when I was little I used to watch Indian soap dramas and I was so jealous when I found out that not everyone does that ceremony where there's a bowl of milk with rose petals in it, and they drop a ring in it for the bride and groom to find and whoever finds it first, will mean that that person will be more dominant in the relationship- and EVERY SINGKE TIME THE GUY WOULD FIND THE RING FIRST BUT DISCREETLY PASS IT TO HIS WIFE SO THAT SHE COULD BE THE WINNER ONGGGGG

And then the Arab countries just practically frowning the bride in gold and money... I like that very much.

Wait omg I remember that Pakistanis have these GRAND welcome for the new bride in their home. I mean, first the groom brings her home in a fancy car or something, then the entire house is lit up with fairy lights and then they do FIREWORKS 😭😭

And in Indian, Pakistani, Bengali weddings, there's the henna tattoo ceremonies, and I love that so much, maybe because I grew up watching bollywood and desi shows, so I'm just gonna say they have amazing weddings.

*sniffle* I get it- I get why women dream of their weddings all their life.

[an-idyllic-novelist]

Rudra headcanons with Tanjiro!fem!reader

warnings: anime/manga spoilers, ooc, violence

Here it is guys, my collaboration work @deathmetalunicorn1.  Definitely go check out their blog, they are an incredible writer and deserve lots of love! @praisethesuuun I really hope you will like this piece as I know how much you adore this big guy :) With that being said, sit back, relax, and enjoy! :)

You rested your hand against a tree, panting softly as you wiped a small bead of sweat from your brow, having been hiking in these mountains for almost two hours, the blue-hazy skies darkening to nighttime. If it weren’t for the full moon tonight, traveling through here would be a lot more difficult. Thankfully Nezuko was sleeping soundly in her box that was strapped on your back, not stirring by your uneven steps as you resumed the ascension to a high peak in the Hindu pantheon.

Although you had done your best to persuade the Hashira and Lord Ubuyashiki in the trial that Nezuko would not attack humans, Lord Hades was not convinced. He will, however, grant you an opportunity to prove yourself as an unofficial member of the Demon Slayer Corps. This is the mission you and Nezuko were currently undertaking: investigate reported sightings of demons, and if able, eradicate them. They were supposedly hiding within this very mountain range, targeting the gods in the Hindu pantheon to test their strength and devour their opponent’s divine flesh. 

Hades left the decision up in the air if you think you could handle the demon, which did make you feel a little hopeful. He was starting to trust you a bit more after you completed your last few missions. That’s good, right? It had to be. If that wasn’t the case, you’d still be at the Butterfly Mansion, anxiously waiting for your next assignment. 

You reached a clearing near some rocks when a cacophony of sounds reached your ears; the sound of bones breaking, blows being landed, and yelling. Your eyes widened in horror before quickening your pace, breaking into a sprint as the noise got louder in the northwest direction. You zigzagged through the juniper trees, narrowly dodging the branches, never slowing down till you saw a four-armed, tattooed deity exchanging fists with a drooling, pale demon. The other two were sneaking in the shadows, ready to pounce for a sneak attack. 

If it wasn’t the sight of a god trying to take on three demons did not shock you, it was the sight that they, and you, were standing in a field of bright red spider lilies. Blue ones bloomed right in the center, where the fighting was taking place. Some of the petals were missing, other flowers were uprooted entirely, meaning  that these demons must have eaten the blue spider lilies to gain an energy boost and an immunity to the sunlight. 

They had to be destroyed, now. 

You quickly drew your sword. “Get down!!” Inhaling sharply through your teeth and catapulting into the air, the tip of the flaming nichirin blade slicing through the surrounding trees, the invisible threat, and finally, decapitating the lurking demons. You landed in front of the deity, who looked quite shocked at seeing someone rescuing him. 

Perhaps gods aren’t used to being helped when they’ve done all the helping. 

The third demon snarled as his amber orbs glared darkly at you. “Do not interfere, Demon Slayer!”

You shifted your feet, ready to attack when suddenly the weight on your back shifted, causing you to jostle more to the right as you felt Nezuko’s foot slam the box open…just to see your adorable little sister leap out and attack a fourth demon that you hadn’t seen nor sensed. They must be getting smarter at concealing their scent! 

While Nezuko handled that one, you dealt with the other demon, attacking it first with the Hinogami Kagura. You could trust Nezuko to fight against a demon…she’s proven to you time and time again that she isn’t weak; she’s strong, stronger than anyone you’ve ever known. Because of that strength, that will, she didn’t give into the hunger nor succumb to Muzan’s control. 

Once both demons were dispatched, your tense shoulders relaxed as you carefully sheathed the black blade back into its scabbard. You swiveled your gaze to the deity, seeing that he was siting against one of the trees and clutching his side.  Unknotting the dark purple pouch from your belt on the left side, you raced over to him and began pulling out gauze, medicinal oils, and a few other things Shinobu gave to you before leaving the Butterfly Mansion for this mission. 

“Are you all right? Are you in any pain? Do you feel dizzy, nauseous? Did any of the demons scratch you?” You fired question after question as your hands opened the jar of oil for bruising and pain relief,  praying that he had not been poisoned. He didn’t seem to be showing any symptoms, but should you have Nezuko use her Blood Demon Art to purify the toxins that might still be in his system?

He was silent for a moment before he quickly answered. “No, they just tried to overwhelm me with a barrage of punches, though one of them did get close to scratching me. No dizziness, don’t feel sick either. Would…something happen if they did scratch me?”

You nodded, carefully spreading the peppermint-scented oil into his skin, muttering an apology as he flinched. “You would have been poisoned, and there would be purple spots all over your skin by now, followed by difficulty breathing and heart beating rapidly,” You looked up at him and smiled. “I’m so glad I made it in time before things got worse!”

Nezuko hummed in agreement, extending a clawed hand and giving him a pat on the head. The deity blinked before he gave you a grin. “Thank you, both of you. I had no idea those…demons would be all the way up here. One moment I was training, then the next, I was going toe-to-toe with them!”

“Did any of them eat those blue flowers over there?” You asked.

“Uh, yeah. Two, maybe all four? Sorry, everything happened so fast-”

“No need to apologize!” You quickly reassured him. “I just need to document what happened here and send it back with my lord’s crow to headquarters. Would you mind giving a statement?”

“No, of course not. Whatever you need.” 

You beamed. “Thank you!” Now that the oil was rubbed thoroughly into his skin, you made quick work with wrapping the gauze around his stomach and the bruised areas. Once it was secure but not too tight, Hades’ majestic and very large crow landed by your feet, cawing. Around its neck was a scroll. 

 Pulling out an ink stone and brush from a compartment on the top part inside Nezuko’s box, you poured some of the water from your leather canteen (another gift from Shinobu, she’s so thoughtful! And it’s from a foreign country too!) into the ink stone. 

Carefully rubbing the ink stick up and down, a small puddle of obsidian ink appeared in the center of the stone. Grabbing the pen and carefully removing the scroll from the crow’s neck, you wrote in great detail what had happened here, including Rudra’s account of the events and the discovery of the blue spider lilies. Lord Hades valued reports that were detailed but not too long or unrelated to the mission. 

At least your calligraphy was getting better!

Once you were satisfied with the report, you placed the rolled up scroll back around the crow’s neck and watched it flight, disappearing into the night skies. Turning your attention to Rudra, you almost laughed at seeing Nezuko sitting in his lap, curiously playing with his hands. 

“I don’t want to be rude, but why would a bunch of flowers like these…blue spider lilies, be so important to demons? As I recalled, they gain their strength by eating human flesh.”

You nodded, collecting the medical supplies and putting them back in the pouch. “And you’re absolutely correct, Lord Rudra. Human flesh does increase their abilities, including physical strength. But when a blue spider lily is consumed by a demon, it grants them the ability to withstand the sunlight. They’re…nocturnal? That’s what Aoi and Kanao told me.” You thought for a moment before nodding. “Yes, that’s it. They’re active at night, but if they can’t find shade once the sun comes up…they’re as good as dead. They burn up, catch on fire.” 

Rudra released a low whistle. “No wonder they were pissed when they saw me near them. They must’ve thought I’d try to take them or something. So…you’re a Demon Slayer. I’ve heard about you guys…but does this sort of thing…happen all of the time?” He asked, gesturing his hands to the area around the three of you. 

Smiling sheepishly, you scratched the back of your head. 

“Not always. Most of my missions are reconnaissance and information gathering, like this one should have been, but there’s no predictable pattern when it  comes to a demon’s behavior. Still, at least I know for certain that the blue spider lily does exist…whether it will make Nezuko a human again or speed up her demonic transformation is another question.” You frowned sadly, looking down at the blue flower in your hand. “I’m beginning to think it’s more of the latter, unfortunately. Those demons were definitely stronger than ones I’ve encountered so far, and I think it’s because of this plant. Shinobu might know more when I show her some samples. I’ll collect some more to bring back. I hate to ask, but may you make sure she stays with you and not go near me as I collect them, just in case?”

Rudra nodded. He didn’t see much of a problem with entertaining the little one while you did your task. She was adorable, and seemed to love swinging off his biceps. You quickly plucked several of them, carefully storing them in a pouch and tied it to your hip, securing the string near your sword. Nezuko took a little persuasion to get inside her box, pouting as she did not want to stop playing with Rudra yet. 

Now that the mission was completed and the report received by Lord Hades, it was time to rest at a village before making the journey back to the headquarters. Rudra immediately offered to escort the two of you to the nearest one; he knew this mountain range like the back of his hands, so it would be much faster to find shelter before it grew dark. You beamed at him, profusely thanking him as you adjusted the box’s straps on your shoulders. 

The three of you walked through the rocky, uneven terrain, carefully steadying your feet and minding your balance when it got too steep. Rudra helped you along the way, his hands gentle on your exhausted body as the adrenaline finished pumping through your blood after the fight. The three of you eventually took shelter in a cave. You insisted that the two of you switch shifts in case an animal or another demon came by. This way you could keep patching up his wounds with the herbs you brought with you, at Shinobu’s insistence. Rudra tried to resist, saying as a god he’ll heal by dawn, but you had yet to see a deity recover from a demon’s attack. 

For tonight, at least let you take care of him. That was when Rudra gave in but you did not know why his face was slightly red. It didn’t feel hot in the cave at all. You shrugged it off and changed the bandages, pressing the herbs into the mouth of the wound before settling in a corner of the cave with Nezuko’s box by your side. Rudra offered to take the first watch. You gladly complied with his insistence to sleep first. 

Thankfully, not a single creature came to the cave even between the four hour shifts between you and Rudra. By dawn, you roasted some wild berries and fish that Rudra found, and resumed the journey.  Five days later, just when the sun had gone down, you had reached the foot of the mountain where the village was located. Hopefully, there would be a gate that you could pass through instead of taking an airship. 

The supreme gods were the only ones allowed to pass through the fractured Bifrost gate while the other pantheon deities would use the normal gates that can teleport them wherever they needed to go. Mortal souls, however, had to use mechanical airships. 

Demon Slayers were allowed to pass through the gates that the other gods used with an authorized Wisteria Pass. The Hashira and their successors would use the Iridescent Pass when traveling between Valhalla and Helheim to patrol the Bifrost. In your case, however, you were given a temporary Butterfly Pass since you were an ‘unofficial’ member of the organization. You’d get the Wisteria Pass once you proved to Lord Hades that Nezuko would never harm a human. 

Mechanical airships wouldn’t have bothered you so much if it weren’t for the steep price or how the scent of the smoke and oily gears made you nauseous. It was better to take your chances with the Butterfly Pass and travel on foot. 

You were a bit sad to part ways with Rudra, as he had been nothing but kind to you and Nezuko. He had healed properly as he said he would, so he wouldn’t run into any more trouble with demons any time soon. But your work is finished here. Time to go somewhere new. 

You bowed to the god, and Nezuko gave him a big hug before rushing towards the gate. He smiled, waving good-bye and watching as the two of you disappeared behind the gate in a swirl of blue light. 

What you didn’t realize is that Rudra felt the same. He didn’t want you to leave as he wanted to get to know you a bit more, though he understood that everything you were doing was for Nezuko. You wanted your little sister to become human again, and if working for the Demon Slayer Corps could provide any information on a cure, you’d take it in a heartbeat. Shaking his head, Rudra departed the village. Since he was in the area, might as well visit Shiva. It had been a while since the two of them had talked. 

But that bastard was laughing his ass off by the time he finished his story about what happened in the mountains. Rudra frowned, crossing his arms as he sat across from his old friend. “Really?”

“Uh, yeah! Not only were ya saved by a mortal woman workin’ under Hades from some demons, ya even got a little crush on her? C’mon, it’s almost cute!” Shiva exclaimed, leaning back against his large pillow. His wives, all three of them, giggled in agreement with knowing eyes as they sat around the god of creation and destruction. 

“And you’re not even bothered by the fact these flowers that can increase a demon’s strength is growing here -“

“Rudra, if it were really a problem as ya make it out to be, I would have handled it a while ago with or without Hades’ consent.” Shiva interrupted. “ ‘Sides, you and your Demon Slayer know where they are, right?  That organization will do its job. All I can do is watch, then I’ll intervene if things get too dicey or Hades doesn’t do his job.”

…Dammit, Shiva got him there. Shaking his head, Rudra chatted with everyone for a little longer before he turned in for the night. Shiva insisted since he’d been long overdue for a visit that included alcohol and a good brawl with the other gods. 

The more things changed, the more things stayed the same. By morning, the tempest god was wandering again yet his thoughts kept straying to the image of a swordswoman and her little sister, vanquishing demons and saving lives wherever they went. 

For their sake, he hoped that Nezuko would become a human again. 

Several months later, Rudra was traveling through the jurisdiction under Indra’s protection when he stepped into a derelict village. Wooden buildings possessed large, gaping holes in them or laid on the ground, their foundations utterly destroyed. Men, women, and children wept over small stone mounds as others were scurrying out of the village with their belongings strapped to their backs. He was shocked. He’s known some belligerent deities in the Svarga, but none were stupid enough to launch an attack like this ever since Shiva ascended as pantheon leader! 

Who was responsible? What happened here?

In between helping the grateful villagers with moving some of the larger structures and cheering up the children, he asked around. All he got was the same story:

“Believe me, if Lord Indra were here, none of this would have happened. But because he had been in a battle recently, he is still recovering at the temple. It had been like any other evening, quiet and uneventful when an old man with a large lump on top of his head came here, seeking to know the location of a ‘blue spider lily’. He was crying…and shaking too, as if he didn’t even want to be here!” A woman snapped, her blue orbs narrowed and face bright red with tear streaks. “We said we didn’t know anything about it, and then all of a sudden his body morphed…no, he split up his body into four, five individuals! Each of them were powerful, sadistic, and showed no mercy when we told him the truth about that flower!”

“Yeah, he couldn’t have been a god, and not a mortal like us!” The little boy by her side exclaimed, clutching a wooden toy sword in his hand. “But when the winged one with yellow eyes tried to use another attack from his mouth, he got kicked by a girl with a muzzle in her mouth! She was super strong, and my age too! There were two others with her, pretty ladies! One with dark red hair, and the other had braids, her hair was pink and green. Pink and green!” He emphasized. “Oh, and a rude guy too!” 

Rudra’s eyes instantly widened. He knew exactly who the mother and son were talking about, and his heart began to pound against his rib cage. “What happened to them?”

Another older woman spoke up, her gaze low and gravelly voice wavering. “The young lass with dark red hair and the boy did their best to protect us, trying to evacuate us before things got worse. They fought against those monsters, all of them…yet even though they defeated them…they did not leave the battle unscathed. The lass and the little girl were taken by the young maiden with green and pink hair and the boy to a place called the Butterfly Mansion. Last I heard, their condition was not good.” 

Rudra thanked them profusely for the information and took off, promising to inform the other gods what happened and to send help as soon as possible. 

Shiva was understandably furious about the whole situation, and yes, he had been made aware of it before Rudra stepped foot in the Little Palace. He’d already spoken to Lord Hades of the Greek Pantheon; suppliers, builders, and the Demon Slayer’s kakushi were en route to provide relief and support to the village. 

He was going to tease the shit out of Rudra when his friend asked him about the Butterfly Mansion but wisely kept his mouth shut under Paravati’s infamous, withering ‘look’. The one that clearly says don’t even think about being snarky with him, this is not the time nor the place. So being the good husband and friend that he is, Shiva complied and told Rudra everything he needed to know.

Durga might the feisty one, but Paravati was not one to piss off if he wanted to get laid tonight. 

As per the namesake, the Butterfly Mansion was a modest Japanese estate affiliated with the Demon Slayer Corps as a recovery base for the soldiers. Its master, Lady Kocho, was both a beautiful and intimidating human woman even in Rudra’s perspective. 

Dark purple hair pulled back and held together with a butterfly-shaped barrette, a butterfly-winged haori draped over the standard Demon Slayer uniform. She smiled politely, welcoming him to the estate as they walked down the hallway to the medical wing. If it weren’t for her eyes being closed or her back facing him, the deity was pretty sure that his hostess would rather throw him out than allow any guests to visit critically injured patients. 

But Lord Ubuyashiki, whom Rudra presumed is Lady Kocho’s superior, granted him permission so long as he did not bother the child. 

Nezuko was the one who greeted him first as soon as Lady Kocho slid the door open, leaping into his arms with a big smile. Rudra was quick to catch the little one, his lower arms gently holding her while his upper left hand patted the top of her head. Nezuko seemed all right…but what about [First Name]? 

Rudra felt someone staring at him, and saw that it was Lady Kocho. She seemed…very surprised that Nezuko greeted him so warmly, before her smile softened. 

“You may stay here until as long as you like, but please do not touch [First Name]. I don’t want any of her wounds opening up again.” The threat in her voice was subtle, and Rudra understood very clearly what would happen if he didn’t obey her. He thanked her again, stepping inside the medical wing with Nezuko. Lady Kocho closed the door behind them with a soft ‘chink’. 

The tattooed deity froze upon seeing you tucked under the sheets of the third cot on the right side, fast sleep. Your long dark red hair was splayed out against the pillow, your right leg in a cast and your right arm was hooked up to an IV. Bandages covered your jaw, left hand, and forehead. 

You looked like shit, but you were alive.

His heart like it had shattered into tiny fragments and reassembled all at once, stomach doing acrobats and his hands trembling even as Nezuko led him to one side of the bed. She then climbed into his lap, being careful not to jostle the mattress too much.

Seeing you in a fragile state cruelly reminded Rudra that you were not invincible, despite the power you possessed. You were a mortal, and he was a god. Injuries that would take a mere week to heal was a three to five month period for you. How could he have been so foolish to think otherwise? He should’ve been here, protecting you and Nezuko. 

But that was then…this is now. There is nothing he could do except make sure Nezuko did not get into too much mischief and no one disturbed your rest. He had been planning on leaving again once he was sure you were all right…but it wouldn’t be so bad to stay here until you woke up, would it?

He had something he wanted to ask you. Something very important. But he was a patient man; if he could put up with Shiva’s chaotic antics for thousands of years, he could wait until his precious Demon Slayer was conscious again. 

Taglist:

@enryegotrip

@praisethesuuun

@justamegafan

@nunezs-stuff

@themoonisrising

@potato-studez-hungryformore

@seii-fantasy

@puffy-bangs

@onecantsimply

@zodiacs-web

@mortemorii

@myrisan-melodies

@the-dumber-scaramouche

@dance-till-the-death

@horrorgirlshell

@thequietkid-moonie​

@rukia-writes​

@zebralover

@sarcastic-cookie

[dionysianfreak]

my drawing of Dionysos in a traditional Hindu style. I've felt quite inspired by how the Hindu Deities are represented, especially the diversity in symbolism between each worshiper. I can't remember if I posted this on tumblr or not, but here it is now.

I'm unsure if I'll ever color it. for now, i love it as it is. enjoy, and happy Dionysia !

symbolism, left to right :

a snake coiled around Their arm. the snake is sometimes considered sacred to Dionysos. it holds onto Them similarly to the snake of Asklepios, representing the healing of both body and mind

the thrysos gripped in their hand. the thrysos is a widely recognized, unique symbol of Dionysos. it represents my personal relationship with Them as I have a thrysos tattooed on my left arm.

Their hand extended in Gyan Mudra. this Mudra is often associated with wisdom or sharpening the mind. it represents the knowledge and peace of mind Dionysos grants us

a bundle of grapes cradled in their palm. wine grapes are very sacred to Dionysos, representing fruitfulness and being a little "fruity". it also encompasses Their connection with agriculture and the earth.

a pitcher of wine endlessly pouring. i can't do a symbolism-heavy drawing without including wine. it represents abundance and divine intoxication, the gift of alcohol that They have given humanity.

a shallow cup that does not spill a single drop. this represents the deliverance of prosperity, the lack of wastefulness, and shows that They reward the worthy and strike down the bigoted.

They sit peacefully with us, a God who is close and personal with Their followers.

there is a sun on Their forehead because i associate Them with the warmth and radiance of sunlight

top surgery scars show Them to be the God of transsexuals and a welcomer of all who live outside any "norm". a God who discriminates against no one.

[little-cereal-draws]

Ok what is on her forehead?

At first I thought it was a tattoo like the others but it looks three dimensional, especially in the third and fifth ones. It could be a piercing but I looked it up and I couldn't find any forehead piercings that go out like that; you can put a stud piercing on your third eye but not a hoop piercing, there's not enough skin to hold it. But y'know this is a fantasy land so it doesn't have to be realistic.

But my autistic ass didn't like that answer -bc everything needs to make sense, even magic- so I did a bunch of googling. I might be wrong, but the only culture I could find that wears crescent shapes between their eyebrows like that is the Hindu population in India, but they don't wear them to the side like that, they have them facing up.

There's also this picture. The tattoos Dr. Blitzmeyer was going to have were going to be magical and taken from different cultures/religions as she traveled and studied. They were going to be invisible normally and glow when she used her magic. However, she's got those three dots on her forehead. They're not glowing even tho all the other tattoos are so they're probably something else. It is possible that they're a piercing (search third eye piercing) and in terms of makeup, people do wear bindis like that. The only picture I could find was from Tamil, south India, but it looks very similar to the drawing here. Honestly, this could be either a piercing or kohl, idk.

(Fun side note I learned: in Sindh, south Pakistan, Muslim women also wear bindis made of three dots but they're in more of a triangle shape than a line)

Anyways, thank you for reading my autism induced over-analysis of a few pictures no one really cares abt lol

[kyrieren]

Doumeki's irezumi

Irezumi (入れ墨, lit. 'inserting ink') is the Japanese word for tattoo, and is used in English to refer to a distinctive style of Japanese tattooing.

In chapter 53, Doumeki's back tattoo is revealed to be a "celestial maiden". Typically, irezumi incorporates motifs such as dragons, Buddhas, samurai, koi fish, and more, each carrying specific cultural and symbolic meanings referred to as wabori (和彫り). Intrigued by Doumeki's tattoo, I went asking if Doumeki’s tattoo is identified as any wabori and received responses suggesting it could represent either Nuwa (女媧) or Benzaiten (弁才天), given the details of snake and the stone in the goddess’ hands. After some research, Nuwa (女媧) seems to be more aligned with the story than Benzaiten (弁才天). However, I still present both of them and their possible interpretations in the story.

I. Nuwa (女媧)

Nüwa, is a mother goddess, cultural heroine in Chinese folk religion, Chinese Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. She is credited with creating humanity from clay by the river bank and repairing the Pillar of Heaven. Let’s focus on the myth of “repairing the Pillar of Heaven”.

The world of the first beings was very different from ours now. The earth was just in its infancy and was only separated from the sky by four very large pillars. One day, Gonggong (龔工), the god of water, and the god of fire, Zhurong (祝融) became locked in a massive battle that would determine the ruler of heaven. Gonggong, who was motivated by evil, ultimately lost the fight and crashed his head against Buzhou mountain—one of the four pillars holding up the heavens. The earth began to tremble and the pillar collapsed and ripped a hole in the sky. At this point, the earth was completely in tatters from Zhurong and Gonggong’s epic battle. Fires had scorched the earth, water was pouring incessantly from the hole in the sky. The ancient Chinese historian Sima Qian (司馬遷), recorded the following account of Nüwa’s heroic deed: “Hereupon Nüwa melted stones of the five colours to repair the heavens, and cut off the feet of the tortoise to set upright the four extremities of the earth. Gathering the ashes of reeds she stopped the flooding waters, and thus rescued the land.” From that moment on, the water in the heavenly palace no longer cascades on earth to cause harm to the people.

In mythology, Nuwa played a crucial role in repairing the sky hole and preventing heavenly water from pouring onto the earth. As rain – the water from the sky, the befallen suffering, is one of the main themes of Saezuru, the parallel is pretty evident. Given Doumeki’s persistence to stay in the yakuza world and his decision to have a wabori that big on his back, he is doing everything he can to manifest his devotion to stay on Yashiro’s side, end his suffering and protect him from any potential harms, even though up to the newest developments of the story, it doesn’t seem likely at all. They’re both confused and hurting each other.

II. Benzaiten (弁才天)

Benzaiten ( 弁才天 ) is the “goddess of eloquence" who originated mainly from the Hindu Indian Saraswati, goddess of speech, the arts, and learning. While Benzaiten retains many of the Indic attributes of Saraswati (as patron of music, the arts, eloquence, knowledge), she also has many unique aspects, roles and functions which never applied to the Indian goddess. As such, Benzaiten is now also associated with dragons, snakes, local Japanese deities, wealth, fortune, protection from disease and danger, and the protection of the state. Benzaiten is depicted in a number of ways in Japanese art, one of which is her portrait wielding a sword and a wish-granting jewel (cintāmaṇi). Eloquence and wish-granting? I haven’t been able to draw the parallel to Saezuru yet.

So I’d stick to the interpretation that Doumeki’s tattoo is Nuwa.